USC’s Hidden Talent

By this time you will begin to hear back from a number of great universities and will be deciding which is the best fit. I had not realized the extent of USC’s sphere of influence, nor the accessibility to talent around the world. Needless to say, arriving at USC, I was pleasantly surprised.

To prevent myself from just listing the numerous awesome speakers that have walked through the gates of USC, I will limit myself to the speakers that I have seen within the last year. It began with Will Ferrell’s interruption during Pete Carroll’s interview on-campus in which he proceeded to punt a football into the auditorium crowd! Following this, the speakers took a more serious note with President Bill Clinton who spoke to students regarding the US and its global standing as well as reflections of his presidency.

As an engineering student interested in bettering the world, I was especially excited to listen to Peter Thiel talk about his investments, book, and the changing entrepreneurial landscape. Amidst his opinions about the Silicon Valley and smart investment, he spoke about life in general and how to derive meaning from one’s own passion. I found it incredibly insightful to hear him talk about the “next big thing” and the unpredictability of today’s technological evolution.

More recently, I attended a seminar with James Bamford, whistle blower, and current leading journalist on the National Security Agency. Though biased in his delivery, his perspective of the NSA and their role in modern society is something that cannot be overlooked. Yesterday I participated in a talk with the former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi where she discussed the dynamic of Congress and how that may shift with Republicans now in the majority.

USC granted me the opportunity to see these incredible and influential people speak as a way to inspire undergraduate students to new heights. I can only hope that we as a generation can live up to these expectations.

Fight On!

Markus M.

Author

Markus

Astronautical Engineering, Class of 2015, Learn more on his profile here!